2010 Duckhorn Napa Valley Merlot

SKU #111536490 points
Connoisseurs Guide

From first sniff on through to its very long, tannin-firmed finish, this very solid, nicely extracted Merlot is marked by continuous and incisive, black cherry fruit, and its carefully placed oak lends a fine trim of sweet spice without ever once interfering with its keen fruity message. It is supple and slightly rounded in feel just as good Merlot should be, yet it has the grip and integral tannin of a wine meant for keeping and will age famously for another half decade or more.
(4/2014)

Wine Spectator

Offers aromas of currant and tomato leaf, with structured flavors of black cherry, cedar and walnut. A solid wine in a tough vintage. Drink now through 2018.
(11/2013)

K&L Notes

Duckhorn is one of Napa Valley's top Merlot producers, and this bottling represents estate fruit in combination with additional fruit from several vineyards representing the finest of Napa's varied sites and soil types. It incorporates 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Cabernet Franc into the blend and the wine was aged in large French oak barrels (25% new) for 15 months before bottling. From the winemaker: "With firm tannins and exceptional length, this is a lovely and age-worthy wine that shows how much Merlot can excel in a cooler growing season. The aromas are rich and inviting with layers of amaretto, sweet spice and cedar. On the palate, lush flavors of plum, blackberry and cherry dominate, with the tannins adding structure and depth."

Additional Information:

Varietal:

Merlot

- A very popular red grape variety found in the great wines of St. Emilion and Pomerol. It is the most planted variety in Bordeaux, and it has also become an extremely fashionable red in many regions including California. Although it has a reputation to be smooth, and easy to drink when young, Merlot is also capable of producing extremely intense wines as well. It is often used as a blending agent with Cabernet Sauvignon.

Country:

United States

- When people consider domestic wine, they normally think about the state of California. The fine viticultural Region within California, including the Napa Valley, Sonoma, Santa Cruz Mountains, Mendocino and Santa Barbara, are capable of growing grapes of world-class quality. But there's plenty of fabulous wine coming from other states, too. Oregon, Washington and New York are also causing eyebrows (and glassware) to be raised around the world. Click for a list of bestselling items from the United States.

Sub-Region:

California

- With the explosive growth that California's wine industry has seen the past several years, it's easy to view winemaking and grape growing in the Golden State as a recent phenomenon. And while it's true that California's viticultural history is brief compared to several European countries, this state's roots date back well over 200 years. Due to the enormous response to California wine within the United States and worldwide, there are thousands of excellent and diverse wines being produced within the state each year. For our entire selection of California wines, please visit this link.

Specific Appellation:

Napa Valley

- America's most famous wine region, which encompasses a varied geographical territory running about 20 miles long from the San Francisco Bay northward to the foot of Mount St. Helena. Napa's great diversity, both in terms of climate and terroir, has led to the creation of a number of smaller AVAs like Stags Leap District, Rutherford, Howell Mountain, Oakville and Mount Veeder, among others. Cabernet and chardonnay still reign supreme, but just about everything under the sun is grown in Napa Valley, in quality levels ranging from $2 jug wine to $500 a bottle California cab.